


The Angel Among the Leaves

by rikuai12



Series: Country of Heaven - Genesis [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Adorable Monkey D. Luffy, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Blood and Violence, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Family Feels, Found Family, Gen, Human Trafficking, I'm gonna make that a tag, Katakuri Adopts Luffy, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Orcs, Papa Kata, Young Monkey D. Luffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27732271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rikuai12/pseuds/rikuai12
Summary: As chief, it was Katakuri’s duty to travel across the world and offer gifts to the Great Shaman. He would bring news of his tribe and receive guidance in return. On his way home, he encounters someone he never expected: a human child named Luffy, who he makes the mistake of feeding.
Series: Country of Heaven - Genesis [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028577
Comments: 23
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! So, I've been having some writer's block...again lol, and needed to work on something new :) This is a prequel to a new multi-chapter story I currently have in the works. It's a fantasy AU, set in a world of magic, monsters, guilds, etc. I hope ya'll enjoy it! Please let me know what you think!

Monkey D. Luffy was born in a small village nestled in the mountains…at least that's what he'd been told. No one was really sure. According to the Caretaker of the orphanage he currently lived at, he'd been dropped off on their doorstep as a baby, with only a scribbled note indicating his name, and they'd never found his parents.

Now Luffy was one of forty-five children who lived at Sheep's House, the only orphanage on this side of the Red River.

Despite being rather rundown and located outside of town, kids got adopted pretty often, which made Luffy wonder why no one was ever interested in him. In his seven-years of life, not one family had contacted the orphanage about him.

Huffing quietly, the little boy sat up in bed, careful not to wake the three other children who shared it with him. It was a tight squeeze, especially since he was the smallest of the bunch and often ended up getting pushed off the undersized bed.

Once he managed to lower himself to the wooden floor, Luffy hugged himself in an attempt to warm up his chilled body and made his way through the loft towards the staircase. His feet got colder and colder with each step, making him wish for the umpteenth time that he owned a pair of socks.

As he walked, the child's eyes scanned the room, taking in the other kids sleeping around him. There were a lot of them crammed up in the loft, one of only two living spaces the orphanage had to offer. The other one was downstairs and housed the teenagers, who 'needed more space' or something.

Luffy didn't really understand.

When he reached the staircase, he lightly tiptoed down, carefully avoiding the third step that would always creak when someone stepped on it. Technically, he wasn't supposed to be awake, seeing as it was still in the middle of the night, but how was he supposed to sleep when it was freezing! Even the warmth of the other kids (that was normally enough) couldn't stop him from shivering.

'I wonder if Mother still has the fire going…' Luffy thought when he reached the first floor, desperate for heat. Thankfully, there was a light coming from the main room, indicating the fire was indeed still alive.

Luffy trotted up to the cracked door but stopped when he noticed a certain someone lounging in her rocking chair. Mother Caramel was the Caretaker of Sheep's House and very nice, but for whatever reason, she made him nervous. Luffy always avoided being alone with her if he could help it.

Still…he was cold, and that fire looked _really_ warm.

"U-Uh…Mother?" Luffy called quietly, jumping in fright when the woman whirled around to stare at him, like she'd been caught doing something bad. He gulped when he noticed she wasn't smiling like she normally was. "C-Can I come in?"

Mother Caramel was an elderly blonde lady who always had a pipe between her teeth. Tonight, she wore her traditional nun's robes, like she always did, and hurriedly smiled at Luffy, though it looked a bit…forced.

"Oh, Luffy, you frightened me, dear." The woman said while quickly placing the papers she was going over face down on the table in front of her, "What are you doing up? You know the rules."

"I know, but I'm cold." Luffy explained, padding forward while wringing his hands together in front of him, "I-I wanted to sit by the fire."

"All right, but you need sleep, dear. As soon as you can feel your toes, back up to bed with you." Mother answered, kind smile back on her face. Luffy nodded and wasted no time rushing up to the fireplace and curling up around his knees so his feet were closest to the flames.

The Caretaker watched him closely, making him fidget nervously. In an attempt to distract himself, Luffy glanced out the cracked window. It looked like it was still snowing outside…which meant more shoveling would have to be done when they woke up in the morning.

Shivering at the mere thought of the cold, white stuff, Luffy turned to his left where the bookshelf was. Mother Caramel often read them stories since most of the kids couldn't read.

On top of the fun fairy tales they heard regularly, the Caretaker made sure to educate them on the dangers of the outside world. Though everyone in Twin Peaks was human, that wasn't the case everywhere. There were elves, dwarfs, and even giants! Luffy had expressed excitement about the cool creatures once and had been quickly chided.

_"They are dangerous, Luffy! You should count yourself lucky you have never encountered such beasts. Thankfully, there are many brave mages and knights out there who protect us."_

He'd never met a mage before but wondered what it would be like to have magic. Some of the older kids aspired to join a Guild when they were old enough. A few could even conjure up sparks or move pebbles with their minds! Luffy had tried to do cool magic stuff, to no avail.

Maybe he'd get magic when he was older? According to Mr. Morgan, one of Mother's associates who stopped by every few weeks, getting into a Guild was the only way to 'get out of the gutter'…whatever that meant.

'…and having magic helps you get adopted…' Luffy thought, biting his lip when it trembled ever so slightly. More than anything, he wanted to be part of a family…but so far, no one wanted him.

He was startled out of his thoughts when a knock sounded at the door, making Mother Caramel's smile falter.

"Oh my, it appears my guests have arrived a tad early. Luffy, be a dear and go back to bed."

He blinked in confusion.

"But-"

_"Go upstairs."_ She ordered, making him flinch, "I won't ask again."

Honestly frightened, Luffy scrambled to his feet and rushed out of the room, heart racing. Though she'd been smiling the whole time, it quickly turned cold. Whoever was at the door must be pretty important.

'But who comes to an orphanage in the middle of the night?' He wondered, stopping on his way up the stairs. Unfortunately, Mother had closed the door behind him, impeding his view of their strange visitors.

After a few seconds of deliberation, Luffy continued up the stairs (deciding that getting back into bed and warming up as much as possible was more important than seeing Mother's guests). When he reached his bed, he awkwardly climbed back into his spot near the wall and pulled the scratchy blanket over him.

Sleep was difficult, but it came eventually.

* * *

The following morning, Luffy sat on the floor and held his tiny portion of porridge close to his body. It was a barely a spoonful but that's all he got so he was determined to savor it. The older kids got to sit at the table and laughed loudly as they elbowed each other.

That's right, today was Saturday…adoption day.

Once or twice a month, Mother Caramel would call the names of those lucky enough to have caught the attention of an interested party. That very day, they were taken to their new homes by Mr. Morgan.

Luffy's eyes moved over to the large man in question. He was currently leaning against the wall, looking them over with narrowed eyes. Mr. Morgan wasn't a kind man and was pretty mean looking with his metal jaw and missing hand. He liked to scare them with stories of how he'd lost his hand in a fight with a troll.

"Children, may I have your attention please!" Mother Caramel exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Everyone went silent and vibrated with anticipation as she reached into her pocket for 'the list'. "This month, six of you precious blessings will be adopted. Isn't that wonderful!"

The room erupted into cheers while Luffy tightened his grip on his bowl. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but six was a big number…

Maybe…just maybe…

"When I call your name, please go collect your things and ready yourselves for the journey ahead." She then cleared her throat and held the paper up so she could read it. With each name, Luffy felt his stomach tie itself into knots. The first three were obvious, older kids that had already developed magic abilities.

By the time she reached the last name, Luffy had all but given up hope.

"-and last, but certainly not least…Monkey D. Luffy."

He dropped his bowl on the floor in shock, mouth falling open.

"W-What?"

"She called your name, idiot." One of the boys sitting next to him hissed, nudging him in the side. Luffy closed his mouth and tears started to spring up in the corner of his eyes against his will. Was it true? Someone wanted to adopt… _him._

"Of course, you will all be sorely missed, but today you start a new journey," Mother continued, grinning down at them, "Now go on…we don't want to keep your new families waiting, hmmm?"

When everyone stood up and began to move, Luffy felt the reality of what was happening sink in. He was being _adopted!_ A smile appeared on his face and didn't leave until all six of them stood outside, waiting for Mr. Morgan to pull up the cart. Unlike the others, Luffy had literally nothing to his name and hadn't had anyone to say goodbye to.

'I wonder what they'll be like!' Luffy mused, bouncing in place in an attempt to keep himself warm. Mother was thankfully allowing him to keep the shoes he currently wore along with the brown tunic and pants (given to him when an older kid got adopted last year and 'didn't need them anymore').

His bright gaze moved to the left when he heard Mr. Morgan's cart approaching. It was pulled by a weathered looking nag but had never looked more inviting to Luffy.

"Now children," Mother said, flitting around them with bright rosy cheeks, "I expect that you'll be good for your new families and make me proud. You will do that for your Mother, yes?"

"Yes, Mother!" They all exclaimed, accepting her head pats and affection with pleasure.

"All right…let's get this over with." Mr. Morgan interrupted, motioning for them to get in the covered cart. The older children got in first while Mother herself lifted Luffy into the wagon, nails digging into his skinny form.

_"Be good,_ Luffy."

"I will!" He chirped before clamoring into the cart behind the other children. A few minutes later, they were off, heading towards their new future all bundled up in blankets they found inside.

Not far into their journey, Mr. Morgan handed them some delicious looking fruit tarts, instructing them to eat them. Naturally, none of them wasted any time devouring the treats. Just when Luffy had finished licking his fingers, he started to feel very… _drowsy._

Noticing the other kids felt the same way, Luffy snuggled into the side of the teenager sitting next to him, swiftly slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

When Luffy woke, he groaned in pain and instinctively clutched at his head that pounded like someone hit him with something. He also noticed immediately that he was very, _very_ cold.

'What happened…' The little boy wondered, blinking sharpness back into his vision, 'I was so warm before…' Sitting up, Luffy looked around, taking in his surroundings. The first thing he realized was that he was no longer in the warm cart.

Instead of the thick blankets and cloth covering he'd fallen asleep under, Luffy was now in a small, metal box of some kind. The side he deemed the 'front' had vertical bars that he grabbed, dread pooling in his belly.

Why was he in a cage? Where was he and where were the other kids?

"Tch…oi!" Someone yelled, startling Luffy, "The brat's awake! Should we dose him again?"

"No, we're almost there. Besides, he's the last one." A familiar voice replied, causing him to shudder. Wasn't that…Mr. Morgan?

"What's g-going on!?" Luffy screeched, stuttering over his words in the cold, "Why am I-"

"Shut up, brat." The boy shrank back when Mr. Morgan's face slid into view. He now understood that they were on a wagon (a different one from before) and the one-handed man had something to do with it.

"W-Why are you doing this?"

The man smirked darkly.

"Damn, this never gets old…seeing all you bright eyed kids fall into despair. You really have no idea what's coming, do you?" Luffy shook his head. "Well then, let _Mr. Morgan_ spell it out for you…we're taking you to your new Master."

"Master?" Luffy questioned, not understanding what the man meant.

"That's right, brat. You see, no one ever gets _adopted_ from Sheep's House…only _sold._ Caramel's been in the business for years and makes sure everything runs smooth as silk. Though, apparently, you weren't supposed to be on the docket today…" Luffy trembled, fear seeping into his freezing bones, "…she said something about you getting a little too curious. Oh well, lucky for you, we've got a buyer who loves cute little things like you. So sit tight, we're almost there."

With that, Mr. Morgan withdrew, leaving Luffy in his tiny prison.

He fell back onto his bottom and curled up into a ball, terrified.

'I-I thought…I was finally getting a family…' He reflected, barely holding in a sob, 'and what about those other kids? Is this how we all end up?'

Suddenly, everything made sense.

The monthly 'adoptions'.

The lack of visitors at the orphanage and the fact that kids hardly ever met interested 'families' in person.

His nervousness around Mother.

Luffy yelped when the cart suddenly stopped, throwing him down onto the icy metal. He quickly scrambled to his feet and grabbed the bars, desperate to see where they'd taken him. It looked like a good-sized camp with big tents. He peered past the tents to the tall trees and figured they must be in a forest somewhere.

But _where,_ exactly.

"Unload the merchandise, I'll go talk with the buyers."

Luffy did his best to examine his surroundings, but it was difficult with how much his cage swung back and forth in his captor's grip. He did see quite a few horses tethered, meaning there must be a lot of people around.

His view of the camp was obscured when the man entered the (thankfully warmer) tent and set his cage down on top of something, leaving him with a sinister smirk that Luffy returned with a glare of his own. Just because he was scared didn't mean he wasn't going to fight back.

Taking a few seconds to catch his breath, Luffy pulled himself flush with the bars and called out with a tentative,

"H-Hello? Anyone there?"

No response.

Luffy bit his lip and yanked on the bars, _hard._

"Let me out! I don't want to be here you stupid-"

"Oi, you trying to get yourself killed!?" A voice hissed, making him stop and search for the speaker. Eventually, Luffy's gaze fell on a cage across from his, one that held the mystery person who was now speaking to him. "These people don't like it when we talk."

"I'm L-Luffy." He said in a much quieter voice, desperate to talk to someone, _anyone,_ "Who are you? W-Will you be my friend?"

"…are you serious?"

"Mhm!" Luffy affirmed, barely holding back tears. He was scared and wanted a friend. "Please…I don't want to be alone!"

"…Zoro. My name is Zoro." The other finally said, prompting Luffy to smile tiredly, "What're you smilin' for, idiot!? Can't you see the situation we're in!?"

He sniffled, not wanting to think about it.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to upset you." Zoro added, stepping forward a bit so Luffy could get a good look at him. The boy was a little older (and taller) than him and had shoulder length green hair…at least it looked sort of green to Luffy. He also looked to have been beaten recently but his eyes were fierce and full of rebellion.

Luffy liked him instantly.

"M-Mr. Morgan said I'm gonna get 'sold'…"

"Yeah, that's what these bastards do, sell kids." Zoro explained, reaching a hand up to scratch at his matted hair, "Must be your first time, huh? Well…hopefully it'll be your last."

Luffy tilted his head in confusion when Zoro inhaled sharply and brought his hands to his chest, cupping his fingers together.

"What're you doing? Are you stupid?"

"Shut up and let me concentrate!" His new friend grunted, squeezing his eyes shut, "I've been practicing…if I can just-" Suddenly, the air chilled unnaturally, making Luffy shudder and back away from the bars. He whimpered and made to ask Zoro what was going on but froze when he turned back to the other boy's cage.

A dark aura now surrounded his new friend, one that felt _alive_ and dangerous. Zoro grit his teeth and the darkness moved to his hand, covering it completely. Luffy watched in amazement as the boy lifted his arm and brought it down on the bars, slicing them in two.

"Woah…" He whispered, eyes bright as Zoro collapsed, breathing hard, "That was awesome!"

"Shhhh! J-Just give me a second and I'll get you out to."

Luffy nodded and covered his mouth while Zoro crawled out of now broken cage. The green-haired boy eyed the lock and jogged over to a nearby barrel, where a ring of keys waited.

"Eh…you're not gonna cut it?"

"Like I have the energy for that!" His friend exclaimed, fumbling around to find the right key, "I don't have endless supplies of magic, you know."

"So you _are_ a mage…so cool!" Luffy continued, throwing himself into Zoro's arms the second the cage was open, "Shishishi, your magic is so much cooler than the one's I saw at the orphanage, and-" Zoro silenced him with a hand over his mouth.

"Luffy, do me a favor and shut up, okay? If they catch us, it's all over."

He nodded numbly, prompting Zoro to gently lower him to his feet.

"Listen, they don't know I have magic, which is why this is our only shot. Next time, they'll be prepared."

"Are we gonna run now?"

"Yeah, so stay close."

* * *

Unfortunately, they didn't get far before their former captors noticed they were gone. Zoro cursed under his breath when loud shouts and barks of dogs sounded from the camp.

"Come on!" He exclaimed, grabbing Luffy by the hand and all but dragging him through the snow. The little boy's heart raced as they ran and he did his best to ignore the cold seeping in through his clothing.

Luffy tried to look around to get a sense for where they were, but he didn't recognize anything. All the trees looked the same.

"W-Where are we gonna go?" Luffy questioned, teeth chattering, "Zoro-"

"Let me think!" His new friend hissed, eyes wide as he searched the horizon, not slowing down. With another curse, Zoro jerked him to the right. Luffy peered over his shoulder when the sound of their pursuers grew louder. "Damn…this isn't good."

"Are you lost?"

"No! I-I…" The other boy trailed off with a scowl, "…listen, we passed a dock when they brought me over the border. If we can sneak onto the ferry, we're free!"

"Where's the ferry go?" Luffy asked, imagining a giant, wooden boat in his mind. He'd never been on one before!

"Probably San Faldo…or one of the other major cities." Zoro answered, "It's our best bet to try and get somewhere with lots of people, _humans_ specifically. I doubt any of the Beast Tribes will help us."

"Why not?"

"Because they're more likely to try and eat us, now come on!"

They ran and ran, trying to find the dock Zoro was looking for. Luffy listened hard for water but it was hard to hear with all the noise following them everywhere they went. He was forced to stop when his friend skidded to a halt and tilted his head slightly.

"…I hear water. This way!"

A few minutes later, they emerged from the dense wood, right in front of the source of water. It was indeed a river, but where they emerged, it was a _waterfall._ Luffy peeked over the edge nervously, gulping at how far the drop was.

"I-Is this where the dock is?"

"No!" Zoro growled, tightening his grip on Luffy's hand, "We went too far upstream and-and the forks over there…" The green-haired boy stamped his foot in frustration and Luffy followed his gaze. Beyond the falls, the river split into two, one narrow and the other wide.

Just as Zoro made to turn around and keep running, men walked out of the forest, holding dogs on chains. Luffy immediately balked and cowered behind his new friend, terrified of the snapping maws closing in on them.

"You brats are more trouble than you're worth." One of them snarled, allowing his dog within a few feet of them, "Come quietly, and we won't punish ya."

"Like hell!" Zoro replied, slowly backing them towards the falls, "We're not _slaves!"_

"Really? The money we already received says otherwise." The second, beefy man sneered before spitting on the ground, "Now come on, we don't have all day! Unless you'd _like_ to be punished?"

"Z-Zoro." Luffy whimpered when his foot almost slid off the edge, "I-I-I can't go any farther and-"

"It's okay." Zoro whispered, making him look up and sniffle, "Luffy…do you trust me?"

"Mhm." The little boy affirmed, trembling as he did so.

"Listen, just down the wider river is the dock, I'm sure of it. If we can just _get_ there-"

"I can't swim!" Luffy interrupted, burying his face in Zoro's smelly shirt, "Z-Zoro I'm scared-"

"You idiots gonna jump?" The first man said with a dark smirk, "Don't bother, you'll be dead in a few minutes in that freezing water. Trust me." Zoro ignored the bad guy's comment and continued his conversation with Luffy.

"We can do this! It's just a little water, we'll be f-" Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to shake, almost sending them over the edge. Their pursuers swiftly lost their balance and the dogs ran off in terror. Luffy wrapped his arms around Zoro's torso as they backpedaled away from the weird thing forming in the air not far from the tumbling water.

It almost looked like a ring of fire and gave off intense warmth.

"An Elemental Serenade…" Zoro mumbled, staring down at the strange ring.

"What's that?" Luffy whispered, unconsciously basking in the warmth.

"It's hard to explain but it's basically a _portal._ " His friend continued, a smirk appearing on his face, "Our way out."

"Don't even think about it brats!" The first man yelled, scrambling towards them. Luffy yelped when Zoro rushed forward, sprinting towards the cliff.

"Hold on!"

Luffy let out a scream when they leapt over the edge and fell directly into the ring of fire. He immediately blacked out.

* * *

When the little boy awoke, it was to the chirping of birds and a bright warmth that was utterly unfamiliar to him. It was the middle of winter…why was it so warm? Luffy groaned in pain and opened his eyes directly into the sun, prompting him to immediately close them. His whole body _hurt._

'Where am I?' He thought, head rolling to his left. Luffy was currently lying face-up on the ground and could feel mud around him as he slowly gained feeling back into his limbs. Strangely enough, there wasn't any snow around. The weather was warm, but not too hot, and the trees were colored red and yellow, like they were in the autumn season.

When Luffy sat up, memories of what happened came back to him, and he immediately felt his stomach drop in fear. That's right, they'd jumped into the weird portal thing after…

'I was almost _sold.'_ Luffy sobbed at the thought, barely managing to hold in his tears. He never would've guessed that Mother could be so terrible. Wiping his eyes, the little boy stood up on trembling legs and looked around for Zoro, his new friend.

"Z-Zoro! Where are you?" He managed in a raspy voice, taking a few steps towards the nearest tree. It was then that he realized his shoes were gone and the ground beneath him wasn't quite right. A closer look revealed he'd been laying in the center of what appeared to be a weird circle drawn into the ground, like a brand. All of the leaves that were currently falling off the trees landed on the cleared area where scorched leaves crumbled to dust when he touched them.

Luffy whimpered in fear when the wind blew leaves up off the ground and into his face. This place was scary, he didn't want to be here.

Where was the snow?

Where was _Zoro?_

He didn't want to be alone!

Luffy took off into the forest, desperately searching for Zoro, but no matter how loudly he called for him, there was no response. He checked behind trees and under logs until he stumbled into a different clearing than the one he'd been in, one that opened up into a fairly large field full of white and blue flowers. The boy wandered through the flowers until he came to the edge of a cliff and the vastest of the wood was revealed to him.

The area was _huge_ and completely unfamiliar to him.

Crying silently to himself, Luffy collapsed back onto his bottom and hugged his knees, unable to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

What was he going to do?

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

A lone orc made his way through the forest with practiced ease, moving at a casual pace. Tall for his race, he occasionally had to stoop to avoid hitting his head on branches. Readjusting the pack that rested over his shoulder, the orc glanced down to where his faithful warg walked beside him.

The beast served as both his mount and partner in battle. His coat was pitch black and he'd taken many lives on behalf of his master, earning him the title _skiá tou dóry,_ or Shade of the Spear.

The warg looked up at him when he felt his master's gaze and flicked his pointed ears forward in anticipation of an order.

"Eager to return home, hmmm?" The orc whispered, running a hand over the beast's head, causing it whine in appreciation, "Do not worry, old friend, we will reach the border within the next four cycles of the sun." The massive beast barked softly and raised a leg to scratch where his hand had been.

Though it would be quicker to climb onto his back and ride the rest of the way, Charlotte Katakuri was in no hurry. As chief of his tribe, he had to make the long journey to consult the Great Shaman every few moons, and he'd come to appreciate the time to himself.

When the pair passed a small waterfall, the chief caught sight of his own reflection in the crystal clear water. His visage was one that often terrified beings slighter than himself and was further enhanced by his many tattoos, rings, and marks of glory. Katakuri's tribe, the _Mitéra Sárlot_ (or Mother Charlotte tribe, in the common tongue), was a mixture of various orcs races from across the world, brought together by his sire, Linlin, a particularly powerful female whose lust for power rivaled even the great _Ogrul,_ warrior of legend.

Katakuri himself had tan skin and very pronounced tusks that he would hide behind a scarf whenever he entered towns of weaker species. Some of his siblings teased him when they were young, saying that if he was shorter and a bit skinnier, he could pass as a human.

Of course, humans didn't have tusks and their ears were soft, round little things that no doubt made it difficult to hear predators approaching. Plus, as a seasoned warrior, his body was covered in tattoos that he earned through victory in battle. His most prominent one covered the entire left half of his torso and had been gifted to him by his sire when he'd successfully cleared out a small human nation that had dared to kill one of his siblings.

He'd left none of them alive.

On his ears, he wore rings that had a variety of meanings, all well-earned. In their culture, the more marks and sigils you wore, the more respect you garnered from other orcs. It was a simple way to display your prowess without saying a word.

In traditional style, Katakuri wore furs around his shoulders, thick trousers and boots, and straps across his chest that also served to hold his spear that currently rested in between his shoulder blades. Currently, his scarf was stored in his bag so his tusks were out for all to see.

'Not that there is anyone to see in these woods…' He mused, looking away from the water to the scarlet leaves fluttering around him. Komugi Forest was vast and stretched all the way from the edge of the Beast Lands to where their territory begun, which he wouldn't reach for a few days if he kept his current pace.

The only creatures who frequented this part of the woods (aside from the usual wildlife) were the fairies, and Katakuri didn't consider them particularly dangerous. Annoying, yes…dangerous, no.

Most of the other Beast Tribes were spread out beyond the forest as they wanted to put as much space between them and the human's territory as possible. Unfortunately for him, the Great Shaman's shrine was located on top of a mountain deep in human territory.

Thankfully, he'd had no problems this year. Occasionally, mages would attack him if he got too close to one of their larger settlements.

Katakuri was brought out of his thoughts by a high-pitched whine from his warg that was followed by a long yawn.

"Come, let's set up camp for the night." He said, causing the warg to bark in agreement. By the time the sun set and the moon had risen, Katakuri had placed his tent and started a fire, years of experience making the process simple to complete. While he stoked the fire, his companion rushed out to complete a quick hunt, returning with a large buck hanging from his bloodied maw.

Katakuri praised his companion in Orcish, which he knew the beast preferred to the smooth tongue of the humans, before butchering the deer and roasting it over the fire. Shade, as he fondly called his warg, made himself comfortable against his back as they waited for their meal to completed.

Though the beast was currently relaxed, he knew Shade was on alert and would let him know if he caught the scent of danger. Once the meat was thoroughly cooked, Katakuri tore off a piece for his companion and bit into the leg himself, tearing through it with his sharp teeth.

A few minutes later, just before he intended to retire for the night, Shade tensed at his back and let out a threatening growl. Katakuri narrowed his eyes and scanned the tree line for abnormalities, seeing nothing.

Still, he wasn't stupid enough to dismiss his companion's warning. A warg's nose was a hundred times more sensitive than an orc's. _Something_ was out there.

Katakuri grabbed his spear laying beside him and stood to his feet, followed closely by Shade who hunched low to the ground, teeth barred towards a broad tree on the western edge of the clearing.

He brandished his spear when a twig snapped and a small gasp sounded from the roots of the tree. Katakuri frowned and slowly approached the evergreen. He could hear something scurrying around, hiding in the shadow of the tree and bushes that grew in between the roots.

Using the end of his spear, he cleared away the brush and locked eyes with the 'danger'. Almost immediately, Katakuri lowered his weapon, eyes widening in shock. There, trembling against one of the trees roots, was a human child. It was utterly _filthy_ and male to his eyes.

At his side, Shade stopped growling and tilted his head in confusion at the tiny creature trembling in their shadow. No, this human certainly wasn't a threat to them…but what was he doing so far into the Beast Lands?

"D-Don't eat me…please…" The tiny human managed, voice tired and broken, "I-I don't taste good!" Katakuri knelt down slowly, doing his best not to scare the boy, and placed his spear on the ground so he could raise his hands placatingly (as he knew was the human custom to show you meant no harm).

"I don't want to eat you." He replied, making the kid jump in surprise, "Human flesh does not appeal to me." At that statement, Katakuri could feel Shade's disapproving stare.

Well, it was true. He didn't want to lie to the youngling.

"Y-You don't?" The boy whispered, looking up into Katakuri's scarlet eyes, "…but aren't you a monster? I-I thought-"

"I have no intention of harming you, little one." He soothed, making sure not to make any sudden movements. Was he the first non-human the boy had seen? "Tell me, what are you doing in the Beast Lands? Were you separated from your sires?"

When the boy blinked in confusion, Katakuri recalled that humans used different titles for those who birthed them and swiftly corrected himself.

"Your _parents,_ child, where are they?"

At the word, the little human immediately began to sniffle and curled in on himself.

"I-I-I don't have any…"

'An orphan?' Katakuri mused, interest growing. The nearest human settlement was easily a few days ride past the edge of the forest.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, prompting the child to look up at him again, eyes red and swollen from his tears. When the child nodded, Katakuri slowly reached for him, making him tense slightly, but not pull away.

The boy was expectedly light and swiftly latched onto the corner of his fur cloak with one of his tiny hands. Katakuri carried him back to the camp and settled himself by the fire once more, making use of the light to look the child over.

He was dangerously thin…so much so Katakuri could feel his ribs under his hands. The human's feet were bleeding due to a lack of appropriate footwear, and there was evidence of additional injuries under the young one's meager clothing.

"Here…for you." Katakuri said, handing the boy a chunk of meat. He took the food slowly at first but once he took his first bite, he tore into it almost as ferociously as an orc. Shade stalked around so he could smell the human, making him giggle at the feeling of the warg's wet nose against his face.

"Ne, I like your doggy, mister." The child said, sending him a tired smile while he attempted to pet the massive beast. To his credit, Shade did not bite the human's limb off. Instead, he shook off the child's grabby appendage and sat just out of reach so he could watch the little thing's movements closely.

"He is a warg, not a 'doggy'." Katakuri clarified, growing increasingly concerned with the boy's current state. Humans were not as hardy as orcs in their natural form…if nothing was done, there was a good chance the child would die. "Tell me, how did you come to be in these woods?"

The kid huffed and lowered the meat to his lap, bottom lip trembling as tears formed in his round eyes yet again.

"I…I thought I was gonna get adopted…but they tried to sell me instead."

Katakuri frowned at that but said nothing.

"T-Then I met my new friend, Zoro, and we ran but they caught up to us…I thought we w-were gonna die." The little human wiped his eyes again before continuing. "But then a weird portal thing appeared so we jumped in…and I ended up here."

"A portal?"

"Mhm." The boy affirmed, "It looked like a ring of fire."

Katakuri's stomach dropped. A ring of fire…was he talking about an Elemental Serenade!?

"You and your companion entered a Serenade?" He questioned, prompting the boy to nod.

"Yeah, to get away…but then I couldn't find Zoro anymore and got s-scared-"

Katakuri tuned the human out for a few seconds as he processed the new information. An Elemental Serenade was something of a random occurrence that happened when a fairy died. The Serenade was their clan's way of spiriting the soul of the deceased to the afterlife. Depending on the base element of the fairy, the Serenade would be a different element (fire, ice, earth, etc.) and were almost impossible to predict due to the sudden nature of fairy deaths.

All Serenades created a portal of sorts that many had attempted to utilize to their advantage, but ultimately failed. Most that entered a Serenade had their bodies torn apart and subsequently spread across the land in pieces.

'This boy got extremely lucky.' Katakuri thought, noting the distinct lack of dismemberment, 'Though his friend likely did not…'

"Can I have some more?" The boy asked, big eyes wet with tears. Katakuri hummed, glancing up at what meat was left and back to the child's malnourished body. If he gave him too much, he'd likely get sick.

"Not right now." The boy whimpered in response but didn't complain.

'I need to decide what I'm going to do with him…' Katakuri mused, gently lifted the boy by his flimsy shirt and passing him to Shade, who quickly corralled him so he was settled between his paws and couldn't go anywhere. He didn't want to consider the child a prisoner, but he also didn't want him wandering back into the woods.

He supposed he could try to return him to human territory, but that would take time…time he didn't necessarily have. His tribe had to perform the Ritual of Acceptance within a few days of his return to the Beast Lands or risk dishonoring the Great Shaman.

'I'll decide in the morning.' Katakuri decided, noting the boy had quickly fallen asleep on Shade's paws. Gathering up his spear, he plucked the unconscious human off the ground and took him into the tent, where he'd be warmer. Removing his cloak, Katakuri bundled the human in it like he used to do for his younger siblings.

Unlike some Beast Tribes, he and his clan held no deep hatred for humans. They would attack them just like any other enemy if they posed a threat. Besides, he wasn't so heartless as to let a child die when he could do something about it.

Such an act would dishonor him.

Outside the tent, Shade lay down just beyond the door, facing the woods. He would keep watch and make sure the boy didn't attempt to leave during the night (though he didn't think the human had the strength). Katakuri eyed the human and sighed, curious what fate had in store for both of them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing well :) In typical Riku fashion, I've split up the original two parts into three...possibly four, we'll see lol. Sometimes, the words just keep going and I have to stop before the chapter gets away from me XD Anyway, I hope ya'll enjoy it!

The next day, Katakuri continued his journey through the woods, albeit at a slower pace than he'd previously used. Shade walked at his side, ears back, likely listening to the quiet patter of tiny feet behind them.

With a sigh, Katakuri halted and peered over his shoulder, causing the small human to hide himself behind a tree. Ever since he'd fed the boy and tended to his wounds, the human refused to leave him alone. Even after Katakuri had shown him the way back to human territory, the child continued to follow him, apparently less interested in returning to his home than the orc had expected.

'That may have to do with the fact that they tried to sell him…' Katakuri mused, recalling what the boy had told him the night before. Slavery was a common practice across their continent, one that many Beast Tribes practiced as well. However, the humans were without doubt the most cruel and brutal to those they enslaved…he'd seen it firsthand during his travels.

"You know," Katakuri called in the common tongue, "it is not safe where I'm going…you would be better off turning around, little one."

The youngling tensed when he realized he was being addressed but did not come out from behind the tree. Instead, he bit his lip and simply shook his head, as if rejecting Katakuri's suggestion. The orc chief sighed.

"I have no more food to give you."

"You'll get more." The boy replied quickly, eyes big and eager.

'Is that why he's following me?' Katakuri thought with a raised eyebrow, 'For food?' He needed to make the human understand that he was not able to continue to provide him with sustenance. His family required his presence, and he could not dawdle much longer.

"Listen, boy, you cannot come to where I'm going, it is-"

"Why not?" The human interrupted, tears forming in his eyes, "I-I wanna go with you…you're nice! You have food! You took care o-of me…" Katakuri's gaze softened at the child's blatant display of vulnerability. It saddened him greatly that the first being to show the boy kindness was him, an orc.

Unfortunately, it spoke to the innate nature of humanity and how similar they were to the Beasts of his native land, despite their objections and belief that they were somehow _superior._

The orc knelt down and beckoned for the boy to approach, which he did surprisingly easily. His tiny legs were weak from lack of nutrition and injury, causing him to stumble and collapse onto Katakuri's left foot. He quickly snatched the kid up by the back of his thread-bare shirt and held him up in front of his face.

"What are you called?"

"L-Luffy…" The boy replied, legs curling up towards his chest instinctively. "Monkey D. Luffy." Katakuri considered the name for a moment before standing to his full height, bringing the kid with him. The boy squeaked at the sudden change in position and grappled with his much larger hand in an attempt to better secure himself.

"I am Charlotte Katakuri, Chief of the _Mitéra Sárlot_ in this region." He replied, baring his tusks and sharp teeth at the boy. It was important for the child to understand their differences and how dangerous it would be for him in the Beast Lands. "In our tribe, there is no room for weakness…we live to fight or die gloriously protecting what is ours. Do you understand…Luffy? We are _orcs,_ enemies of the human race."

The kid blinked up at him for a moment, eyes still full of unshed tears.

"I-I can't come cause I don't look like you?"

Katakuri stared at the kid, taken aback by the statement.

"Well-"

"Then I'll get sharp teeth!" Luffy exclaimed, salty streams flowing down his cheeks yet again as he gave Katakuri a surprisingly determined look, "I'll be an orc too, so let me go with you, _please!"_

The chief lowered the boy slightly, honestly unsure how to respond. He hadn't expected the human to be so willing to give up his connection to his people simply to travel with him.

'No, that's not it.' Katakuri thought, smirk forming on his face, 'He's a survivor, and has little to no love of his people.' Strangely enough, he found himself growing interested in this… _Luffy._

"Very well, if that's what you want." Katakuri acquiesced, prompting the human's expression to morph to one of hopefulness, "However…it won't be easy. Are you sure you're up for it, little one?"

"I can do it! I'm strong, you'll see!"

Katakuri chuckled at the spirited response and put the human back onto the ground. It would be interesting to see how Luffy developed under his care…

If he survived, that is.

* * *

For all his determination, the little human boy wasn't physically capable of keeping up with Katakuri's much longer gait, falling behind quickly. He suspected this also had to do with his lack of appropriate footwear and general malaise. Eventually, Katakuri scooped him up off the ground and attached him to his chest in a sling made of fabric, cocooning the child safely against the straps of his armor.

Within seconds, the boy fell asleep, exhaustion catching up to him.

'He's really not in good shape.' Katakuri mused, whistling for Shade to return to his side. He'd sent the warg ahead to scout the river basin and make sure it was safe to cross. Though he had originally planned to take it slow and savor the peace of the forest…it was probably time to pick up the pace.

So, when Shade bounded back up to him, Katakuri commanded him to kneel in Orcish. The warg did as he was ordered and laid his belly flat against the earth so his master could properly mount him. When he was situated and the human child secure, he fisted a hand into Shade's fur, whispering for him to hurry home. Unfortunately, they didn't have the luxury of wasting time anymore. His new charge needed medical attention.

* * *

They made the trip in record time, all but barreling into the orc village just as the sun was rising. Shade panted quietly as he slowed to a trot, weaving through the reinforced tents most of the tribe lived in. They were simple dwellings, but strong enough to withstand the elements.

Orcs were generally not fond of the stone houses humans used, preferring instead to bask in nature and not be separated from the outdoors.

Any wargs they passed raised their heads to greet Shade, wagging their tails or barking softly. As he was the companion of the chief, Shade was essentially their alpha and garnered great respect from the other beasts. The obsidian warg held his head high, not deviating from his course even once.

By the time they reached Katakuri's tent, a few of the villagers realized he had returned and rushed forward to offer their congratulations for yet another successful pilgrimage.

"Welcome back, Chief!"

"What words of wisdom do you bring from the Great Shaman?"

Katakuri slipped off Shade's back and turned to face the small gathering, somewhat annoyed he was being swarmed the second he got home. He huffed and laid a firm hand against Luffy's back, the little boy still fast asleep against his chest.

"You're back earlier than expected?" Brulee, his sister, teased, pushing her way through the crowd. She was a tall, gray-skinned orc and one of his most trusted family members. "Did you miss us that much?"

"Not exactly…" He muttered, drawing Brulee's attention to his bundle. The she-orc frowned and reached forward, pulling the fabric back to expose Luffy's sleeping face.

"A human? I thought you didn't like how they tasted?"

"He's not for eating." Katakuri clarified, covering the boy up again once the other orcs began to crowd forward in an attempt to see the child, "I came across him in the Komugi Forest."

"What was he doing in the forest?"

"Hold him up! We want to see!"

"Enough, my brother is tired from his long journey." Brulee exclaimed, turning to address the crowd, "We must let him rest so that he is ready to perform the Ritual of Acceptance tonight." The other orcs mumbled to themselves in disappointment but dispersed nonetheless. Katakuri had no doubt that the entire tribe would know about Luffy's existence before the sun reached its peak.

"Thank you, Sister."

"You're welcome, now come inside…I want to hear the whole story."

* * *

When Luffy awoke, he was laying on something soft. He blinked and yawned, slowly taking in his surroundings. It looked like he was in a big tent of some kind and he could hear voices beyond the fabric wall that separated the pile of furs he was on from the rest of space. Though he was reluctant to leave the warmth of the make-shift bed, Luffy did want to figure out where he was.

The boy remembered following after his new orc friend…but then nothing.

Whining softly, Luffy pushed himself off the furs, wincing at the general aching of his body. Everything hurt. When his feet landed on the floor carpeted with rugs, he noticed that someone had bandaged them. Now even more curious, the little boy padded up to the curtain and fumbled around for a few seconds, attempting to locate the break in the fabric.

Eventually, he was able to find the right spot and peeked his head into the other room. The nice orc he'd met in the forest was there, seated facing away from him. He was speaking in a strange, somewhat guttural language to what could only be a female orc. She nodded and replied to whatever he said until she noticed Luffy.

"Oh…seems like someone's finally awake." At her statement, Mr. Kata (as Luffy decided to call him), looked over his shoulder.

"Come here, boy." Luffy shuffled nervously over to the large orc, eyeing the unfamiliar female with uncertainty. Was she nice too? Though he was inclined to trust Mr. Kata, Mother's words about the dangers of the beasts weighed heavily in the back of his mind. "How do you feel?"

"I'm okay." He answered, preening quietly when Mr. Kata tousled his hair, "Ne, ne…do you have any more food?"

"Yes, I can get you some, but first…" The orc motioned to the female, "this is Brulee, my sister. She is the one who treated your wounds."

"Hello, little one."

"Hi!" Luffy chirped, deciding he liked the new lady. If she made him feel better, then she was okay in his book. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy, nice to meet you!" Brulee smiled fondly at him before returning her attention to Mr. Kata.

 _"So, how do you intend to handle this? If you wish to keep him, that's fine, but the rest tribe may not agree…"_ Luffy blinked in confusion when the female orc switched back to the unfamiliar language.

 _"They will accept him."_ Mr. Kata replied, _"I will make sure of it."_

_"…but still, he is just a human. The poor thing won't last a week out here."_

_"Who knows, he may surprise us."_

"U-Um…" Luffy muttered, looking back and forth between the two orcs, _"_ Am I in trouble?"

"No, _moró_ , you're not in trouble." Miss Branch (he was pretty sure that was her name) said, smiling down at him once again, "We're just talking about how to best introduce you to the rest of the tribe. Will you do it during the Ritual of Acceptance?"

"Might as well, everyone will be there." Mr. Kata responded, crossing his arms, _"Will you watch him in the meantime, Brulee? I need to purify myself."_

_"Of course, Brother."_

When Mr. Kata stood and made for the entrance of the tent, Luffy felt his stomach drop. He was going to leave him? Frightened, he rushed forward and clutched at his leg.

"W-Wait, don't go! Please, I'll be good!"

"Luffy…it's okay." Mr. Kata soothed, gently detaching him from his leg and passing him to Branch, "There is simply something I need to do…I'll be back. My sister will stay with you until it's time for the Ritual."

Luffy whimpered when the orc left. After everything that happened at the orphanage and then being separated from Zoro, he didn't want to lose his new friend too. Branch shushed him and spoke calming words in her language, carding clawed fingers through his greasy hair.

"Shhhh, little one…come, let's get you cleaned up."

* * *

Later that evening, when the moon was high in the sky, Katakuri stood before his entire tribe. He wore traditional garb of a chief which included a long maroon cloak, golden body decorations, and special war paint used only for rituals. His people sat on the ground, their faces illuminated by the fire of nearby torches.

Many other orc tribes across the continent were also completing their Ritual of Acceptance as was customary to honor the Great Shaman and their words of wisdom. The timing of the ceremony depended on the distance of the orc's tribe from the Shaman's shrine. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, Katakuri stepped forward to address the crowd.

"Brothers and sisters, today, I have returned to you from beyond the forest. The Great Shaman is pleased with our growth and prophecies blessing upon our tribe so long as we continue along the path we walk now." The tribe cheered at that, many stomping the ground in appreciation. Katakuri waited for the noise to die down before continuing. "In addition, with regards to our territory, the Great Shaman advises us to protect what is ours and the traditions of the orc. Should our neighbors attempt to invade, we will drive them off with all of our strength!"

The tribe raised their weapons at that, howling in agreement. They'd long bickered with their goblin and troll neighbors and many would love a chance to be rid of them for good.

Katakuri then turned to face the blazing fire at his back and raised both of his arms.

"We hereby accept the guidance of the Great Shaman and thank the gods for bestowing upon us another prosperous moon." Behind him, his tribe began to chant, speaking words in old Orcish. To outsiders, it was a strange (and often terrifying) ritual, but to them, it was customary and really just an excuse to have a feast.

He knew that Brulee and the other non-warriors had been stockpiling meat for the occasion.

In Orc culture, there were a few different classifications: the first being warrior. It didn't matter if you were male or female. If you proved yourself worthy of the honor, you became a warrior. There was no shame in not pursuing such a title, many orcs enjoyed looking after the younglings or hunting to feed the tribe.

The only pursuit that was seen as unacceptable was to not pursue anything at all. Katakuri did not tolerate those who refused to support the tribe in one way or another. There were exceptions for the elderly or sick who could not work, but _laziness_ was only a detriment to the tribe.

Once the ritual was done and the chanting ceased, Katakuri turned back to his people who watched him expectantly.

"So…where's the human?" Daifuku yelled, making him sigh. Of course his brood-mate would be the first to ask. Their tribe, while not small, wasn't very large either so it didn't take long for gossip to permeate through the village.

"It seems you've all heard about him then." Katakuri replied, earning some chuckles from the crowd. In particular, he could see his other brood-mate, Oven, leaning forward with anticipation. Removing the golden headpiece and setting it aside to make the situation a little less formal, he motioned for Brulee to bring Luffy forward.

The she-orc murmured something in the boy's ear and nudged him out of the tent, almost sending him flat on his face. The crowd whispered amongst themselves as Luffy righted himself, wringing his hands together nervously. Katakuri was pleased that Brulee had thought to dress him in more appropriate clothing.

Instead of the thread-bare monstrosity he'd found him in, Luffy wore a basic outfit most orc younglings would wear on a daily basis. It included capris (that Brulee obviously had to tie below his knee due to his miniscule height), a black sleeveless shirt, and simple slip-on shoes. As orcs aged, their clothing and armor choices would change, usually to display tattoos and other status markers earned over time.

"Luffy, come join me." Katakuri urged, noticing the boy was frozen in place. At his name, the little human scampered over to him, quickly hiding himself behind his much larger leg. "Everyone, this is Monkey D. Luffy. From now on, he will be a member of this tribe."

The whispers grew louder and the human began to tremble.

"…he's tiny…will he be okay?"

"I don't question the Chief's judgment, but…"

"He's so CUTE!" A loud voice exclaimed, causing the boy to yelp in surprise. Katakuri rolled his eyes when Oven rushed forward and grabbed Luffy around his waist, hoisting him high into the air. "Look at ya…so squishy and small."

Katakuri was surprised the boy was managing to keep himself together after being suddenly thrown around by his brother. He did, however, sniffle and look at Katakuri for help, eyes moist with unshed tears.

"Come on, give him here. You're scaring him." Katakuri chided, taking Luffy away from Oven. His brother muttered under his breath how 'stingy' he was but didn't make a move to try and hold the boy again. "Listen, I expect all of you to teach him our ways and give him guidance where needed."

"Who's going to take care of him?" A female in the crowd asked, motioning to her brood of six. She obviously didn't want another one to add to her already chaotic household. Katakuri straightened up, prompting Luffy to grasp onto his cloak.

"I will. It was my decision to bring him into the tribe, so he will be mine." The boy in his arms gasped and looked up at him with big eyes while the crowd went completely silent. Katakuri knew this was a big deal. Claiming a child meant that Luffy would officially be the heir to the chiefdom.

Their tiny, squishy little prince.

"Y-Y-You're making him…your _son!?"_ Daifuku shrieked, standing to his feet, "Brother, you know I will always support you, but-"

"-he can't even protect himself!" Oven finished, motioning animatedly to Luffy with his arms, "Other tribes could use him against you or belittle us!"

"Then we will just have to make sure he lives up to his title." Katakuri determined, shutting up his brothers immediately. He was very much aware of how ridiculous it was to make a weak human child he'd only just met his heir, but something about him was _different._

Katakuri could see that Luffy had great potential and he had every intention of drawing it out.

* * *

A few weeks after being introduced to the tribe, Luffy sat in 'school' (as Mr. Kata called it), shuffling nervously in place amongst the other orc younglings. He wanted to make a good first impression…but he wasn't sure where to start.

Mr. Kata made him take a lot of naps and stuff before letting him wander around the village, and even then he was always escorted by someone or _something._ Luffy quickly realized that all the doggies in the village were smart and acted like they could understand what the orcs said.

What _was_ awesome about living in an orc village was that he got to eat a lot. Unlike the orphanage, there was always meat being brought in by hunters and vegetables harvested from the fields. His new 'Uncle' Oven (as the orc insisted he be called) took him on a tour of their entire territory one day on the back of his warg, Netsu, whose coat was a deep chestnut brown. It was bigger than Luffy thought and he marveled at the wildlife that would peer at them as they passed.

Everything in the Beast Lands was just so… _alive_. Of course, it'd come as a shock to discover just how far away from other humans he was, but he found that he didn't mind. The orcs had been nicer to him in a few weeks than any human had been in all his years of life (except for Zoro…he was his first friend).

And now, he had a family, which made Luffy happier than he ever knew he could be.

He even had a 'room' in Mr. Kata's tent (His _Papa_ now, according to Uncle Oven and Uncle Daifuku) and Miss Branch had already made him two whole outfits!

Yeah, life as an orc was much better than living at the orphanage.

"Good morning, younglings." Their 'teacher' said, dipping into the tent. She was rather short and stout compared to other orcs Luffy had seen but had kind eyes. "For the sake of our new friend, I will introduce myself…my name is Charlotte Chiffon, you may call me Mrs. Chiffon."

 _"Good morning, Mrs. Chiffon."_ The other kids said as one in their language, making Luffy look around in confusion. He'd also realized rather quickly that many of the members of the tribe were related by blood, hence the same family name. Therefore, most of them only went by their given name.

"Hi…" Luffy chirped quietly, embarrassed he'd missed the greeting. Chiffon smiled kindly down at him, her tusks moving slightly at the movement.

"Hello, young _li'uli_. Welcome to your first day of school!"

Luffy frowned at the unfamiliar word, recognizing it from somewhere. He was fairly certain that many of the other orcs around the village had started calling him that after Mr.-er… _Papa_ Kata had announced his 'adoption'.

Warmth filled his belly at the thought of the 'a' word that he'd imagined was so out of reach. He had a family now and he would do whatever he could to be the best orc ever.

"Mrs. Chiffon?" A rather round orc asked, raising his hand, "Do we _have_ to talk like humans? I don't like it."

"Yes, Dolce…at least for now." The teacher replied, snapping the stick she held against her palm, "I'm sure our _li'uli_ will learn Orcish soon and it's good practice for everyone. Come children, let's start with something simple."

Luffy did his best to keep up with the other children, but Orcish was hard and made his throat hurt. Still, if he wanted to be a good orc, he needed to learn their language.

Of course, he didn't even know how to write his _own_ language…but he'd try his very hardest!

When snack time rolled around, Luffy pulled out the little sack of nuts Miss Branch had packed for him and popped a few into his mouth. He looked around for someone to talk to…but they all seemed to have their own groups already. Used to being alone, Luffy settled down on a cushion in the corner to focus on his food, only to be interrupted.

"Hey."

He looked up and was surprised to find a blonde…orc? The boy (who looked to be just slightly older than him) didn't seem to be fully orc like the rest of the kids. His skin was pale like Luffy's and he wasn't as bulky as normal orc children. The main difference between them was his barely noticeable tusks and swirly eyebrow.

"Hello, I'm Luffy!" He chirped, pleased someone had come to talk to him, "Do you want to be my friend?"

"Uh…sure." The other boy said, moving to sit in front of him with his own lunch, "I'm Sanji, by the way."

"I like your eyebrow." Luffy continued, making Sanji scoff.

"Well, you'd be the first. It's like a family curse or something." The kid then opened up his wooden lunchbox, revealing a beautifully ornate arrangement of fruit, bread, and vegetables. Luffy was immediately jealous.

"Woah…that looks delicious!"

"Y-You think so? I made it myself."

Apparently, Sanji was a halfling, meaning he was half-orc and half-human. His family had just recently joined the tribe as part of an alliance or something, which meant Sanji had to move to Papa Kata's village to receive his 'initiation' into the tribe.

"You have _four_ siblings?" Luffy exclaimed, leaning forward in amazement while Sanji just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, unfortunately. Trust me, they're all a big pain in my ass."

Luffy immediately liked Sanji and couldn't help but wish Zoro was there…he just _knew_ they'd get along great.

Just before class started up again, he nudged Sanji in the ribs.

"Ne…what's that word they keep calling me?"

The blonde blinked at him

"What, you don't know? That's the Orcish word for 'prince'."

"P-Prince!?" Luffy all but yelled, startling some of the other kids, "Really!?"

"Yeah, the chief adopted you, so you're a prince now… I guess." Sanji said with a shrug, "Don't let it go to your head."

Luffy plopped down onto his bottom, honestly shocked. He, an orphan with no family and nothing to his name…

…was a prince?

* * *

When school was over, Luffy exited the tent with the other younglings, chatting with Sanji. He was very happy to have already made a friend and wanted to find out where he lived so they could play together! He stopped when Sanji did, looking up into Shade's face.

The warg was seated directly outside the tent, forcing the other students to go around him. His tail slapped against the ground when Luffy emerged and he released a low sound from his throat, making the boy smile.

"Hi Shady! Did you come to pick me up?"

"Er, I'll see you tomorrow, okay Luffy?" Sanji muttered, eyeing the massive warg with caution, "I'm staying with Miss Compote right now…her tent is on the edge of the village, that way."

Luffy acknowledged the direction and waved to his friend just as Shade reached down and snatched him up by the back of his shirt.

"I can walk on my own…" He pouted, holding the sack lunch close to his chest.

The warg took him straight back to Mr. Kata's tent and placed him on the inside carpet gently, snuffling his back as if he was checking for injuries. Luffy giggled and pet his snout before trotting up to the other occupant of the tent. The large orc was facing away from them and looked to be going over a map of some kind.

"How was school?" His new Papa asked, not bothering to turn around.

"Good! I made a friend named Sanji." Luffy replied, peering around at the map Katakuri was so invested in. It looked really complicated and made his head hurt.

"Sanji, hmmm? That's good, you're both new here and can help each other adapt." Katakuri raised an eyebrow when Luffy clambered into his lap, wanting to cuddle. Thankfully, the orc didn't push him away and allowed him to make himself comfortable. "How about learning our language?"

"It's hard…" He admitted, messing with the bottom of his shirt, "but Mrs. Chiffon is nice and a good teacher." Katakuri chuckled warmly.

"Yes, she does a wonderful job. I imagine it has to do with-"

"Um…Papa?" Luffy asked, spitting out the word even though it still felt so unfamiliar. Katakuri put down his quill and gazed at him with his scarlet eyes. "Sanji said that I'm a prince now…is that true?"

"It is. As my child, you are the heir to my position."

Luffy blushed at the casual admission, stomach fluttering happily.

"W-Wow, um…okay. Then-" He trailed off so he could climb on top of the table and face Katakuri, his legs dangling off the table. Luffy was careful though, not wanting to damage the pretty map, "-I gotta learn how to do prince stuff right?"

"First, you have to learn how to _survive,_ little one." Katakuri explained, reaching out to rub Shade's snout when the warg sat himself next to his master, "As you are now, any wild beast could make off with you and tear you to pieces without difficulty. My suggestion would be to become an orc first, prince second."

Luffy hummed at that, yelping when Katakuri removed him from his map and placed him back in his lap.

"Will you help me get strong, like you?"

"If that is what you want." Katakuri replied, "Though, you should consult our local shaman first." Luffy blinked at that, eyes full of wonder.

"Shaman? What's that?"

" _Who_ , Luffy. She has insight into deep magic that will help guide you on which pursuit would suit you best. That is not to say you _have_ to heed her advice, but it would likely be worthwhile. Once you identify a path you wish to pursue, I will help you reach your goal to the best of my ability."

Luffy smiled and nodded, head immediately filled with images of him with a giant _axe_ or-or spikey armor! Yeah, that would be so cool.

* * *

The next day, Mr. Kata brought Luffy to a tent somewhat isolated from the rest of the village. It was placed on top of a cliff and had smoke rising out of a hole in the top. The orc motioned for him to wait outside while he went to speak with the shaman lady. Luffy felt _giddy_. What would she say?

"You may enter, little one." His Papa called, prompting Luffy to clumsily follow him into the smokey home.

"So…this is the _li'uli_ …" A she-orc with a very long neck murmured, blowing smoke from her pipe into his face. Luffy coughed and examined her, noting the crazy amount neck jewelry she wore and the massive hat that was at least twice the size of his body. "I am Amande, child…this village's shaman."

"Hello!" He chirped, following Mr. Kata's instructions to sit on a cushion while the new orc (who his Papa explained was yet another one of his sisters) brought out a bowl full of liquid. He gazed into it curiously when it was placed in front of him.

"Now, we will mix your spirit into the water of the mountain spring…and see what fate has in store for you." Amande whispered, pulling out a knife. Luffy immediately squeaked and tried to scoot away, but Papa Kata stopped him.

"It's all right, little one. She just needs to make a cut on your hand. This magic requires your blood."

Still nervous, Luffy nodded, wincing when the blade sliced across his palm. When the blood dripped into the bowl, Amande began to chant and swish it around. Swallowing hard, Luffy reached out and clutched Katakuri's thumb with his uninjured hand, trembling as the older orc wrapped the cut in a bandage.

Eventually, Amande stopped chanting and lowered the bowl for Luffy to see.

The water, amazedly enough, was _glowing._ It swirled without being touched, changing from red to blue to green before becoming fully scarlet.

"Ah…I see."

"W-What? What does that mean?" Luffy stuttered, having no knowledge of bowl-magic whatsoever, "Is that good?"

"It appears, you have an aptitude for a few different paths," Katakuri explained, crossing his arms, "but based on this divination, I believe it may be good for you to pursue being a scout."

"What do they do?" The boy questioned, tilting his head. The orc smirked down at him.

"They protect our borders, scout out enemy territory, track prey, hunt, and…they get a warg."

Luffy's eyes immediately sparkled.

"Yeah, I wanna do that!"

* * *

"Eh…a scout, huh? That's cool!" Sanji said while batting Luffy's grabby hands away from his lunch. The boy giggled and leaned back so he could gaze up at the sky. The two children were playing on top of a hill near the edge of the village under the watchful eye of Miss Branch.

"Right!? Papa says that when I turn eight next summer, I can pick a warg of my own!"

"Ah, yeah, because that's when the next litter is due." Sanji continued, once again surprising Luffy with his knowledge despite only being in the village for a few weeks longer than him. "Lady Amande said I could be a warrior, but…I'm not sure."

"Why not? That'd be cool!"

"I know, but I've always loved making food." The blonde halfling huffed, arranging his berries into a pretty pattern, "I-I don't know what to do…"

"Do both!" Luffy chirped, "You could be a…a fighting chef!"

"You think so?"

"Yeah, then you can go on adventures with me and be my cook!" Sanji chuckled at his suggestion but seemed to be considering it, which made Luffy happy. He could imagine it…gathering a group of good friends and traveling the world.

"…but…what about your responsibilities?"

"What responsibilities?"

"Well, you're a prince now, remember." Sanji reminded him, "You'll probably have to go to boring meetings and stuff."

Oh right.

_For the rest of the year, Luffy worked hard to learn Orcish and move towards his goal of becoming a scout. He and Sanji grew close and spent nearly every day together. Despite his small stature and lack of strength, the tribe grew fond of his sweet personality. So, when the time came for him to choose a companion, there was quite a turn-out._

* * *

"All right, gather round!" Mrs. Chiffon ordered, bringing the children who were choosing a partner closer. Luffy glanced to his left and right, noticing there was actually a good number of younglings who wanted to be a scout. He'd also learned from Papa that warriors could also take a warg, however, it had to be approved by the shaman. "As you can see, there are quite a few pups out there…"

Luffy stood up on his tippy-toes so he could see over the make-shift fence. The field was full of tiny wargs, all rough housing and playing with each other.

"Choose wisely, little ones." Katakuri boomed, silencing the crowd that had gathered, "You are picking a partner for life."

He waved at his Papa, prompting his Uncles to squeal something in the crowd. They were always so loud and funny.

Sanji was also in the crowd, having decided to forego the Choosing. He wanted to continue cooking _and_ fight as a warrior, which sounded just perfect to Luffy. His friend wasn't particularly interested in having a warg, so he hadn't applied for one. Of course, for warriors it was optional. Not for wanna-be scouts.

"Once you have your offering, you may enter the field."

Luffy yelped when all the other orc younglings rushed forward and grabbed a slab of meat from the basket. He huffed once they were gone and trotted up to the offering basket, examining the options. He wanted to pick one that was good…

By the time he had a fowl leg in his hand, the rest of the group was already in the field, chasing after pups they had their eye on. Luffy walked slowly, scanning the pack of young wargs. Many of them were already large, which indicated they could grow up to be like Shade. He hummed, not feeling a connection to any of the ones closest to him…and he didn't want to _force_ them to be his friend.

It was then that his ears picked up a quiet bark coming from the very edge of the field. Curious, Luffy made his way through the tall grass, holding the meat at his side. When he saw the grass moving around in front of him, the boy crouched down and held out his offering.

"Here, doggy…you can have it."

He only had to wait a few seconds for the meat to disappear and the sound of an animal eating to fill the air. Luffy grinned and crawled through the grass until he was eye-to-eye with the warg puppy who'd accepted the leg. It was smaller than some of the other canines growling about in the area, but he was _beautiful_ to Luffy.

His coat was a pretty silver with tufts of darker fur mixed in and, when Luffy touched him, it was the softest thing he'd ever felt.

"I'm Luffy." He whispered, giggling when the warg flipped over on his back so he could scratch his belly, "What's your name…?"

The warg whined and tilted his head, causing his ears to flop over.

"I'm gonna call you…Merry!"

* * *

Katakuri watched closely as Luffy disappeared into the grass at the edge of the field. Most of the other younglings had already chosen their partners and were presenting them to the tribe.

"Bonecrusher!"

"This…is Shadowfang."

Unsurprisingly, the wargs were getting mostly traditional names. As they became more distinguished in battle, they would likely start to go by their titles, as with Shade. He craned his neck, trying to catch sight of Luffy. What was taking him so long?

"Nervous, Brother?" Daifuku teased, nudging him in the side.

"Not at all."

"Oh, come on, it's all over your face. You're worried Luffy's gonna pick the runt of the litter."

Katakuri huffed, annoyed his brother could read his usually neutral expressions. Of course he was worried Luffy would pick a weak warg. The youngling was too sweet to try and wrangle one of the more dangerous ones, which wasn't ideal given that wargs often dictated the success of an orc in battle.

Choose a weak warg, and it may fail you when the time comes.

"Papa!" Katakuri looked up when his boy finally emerged from the field, cradling a silver-furred pup in his arms. The weight of the warg caused Luffy to toddle slightly and made Katakuri wonder why the hell he was carrying it?

The rest of the tribe cheered for him even as he placed the warg down and it flopped over, whining for pets.

Oh dear…that pup didn't exactly give off an intimidating aura.

"My _li'uli_ , would you like to present your partner?" Chiffon whispered, making Luffy put his hands on his hips and grin widely.

"Yeah! This is Merry, my new friend!"

The warg looked up at the name and its tongue flopped out of his mouth, obviously pleased with its new designation. Katakuri pinched the bridge of his nose when it wagged its tail so hard, it actually wore itself out.

Shade chuffed next to him, eyeing the puppy with skepticism.

They had a lot of work to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you're all doing well :) My life has been a bit crazy lately, but I am now a married woman! *cheers* Needless to say, my updates may be a bit slower as I get used to new routines, a new full-time internship, and being a wife lol XD (P.S. my husband is wonderful and so supportive of my writing, which I am beyond grateful for) Thank you for your patience in advance and I hope ya'll enjoy this very long chapter!

Luffy held on tightly to Merry's scruff as the warg raced through the woods, leaping over logs and other obstacles with ease. The ten-year old boy grinned widely, enjoying the feel of cool wind against his cheeks.

It'd been three years since Papa had 'adopted' him, bringing him into the tribe. His Orcish had improved significantly, though he still occasionally stumbled over words. Currently, Luffy and Merry, his faithful partner, were completing an obstacle course set up by Mrs. Chiffon as a way to help improve their familiarity with the forest as well as their warg's agility.

The other younglings often gave Luffy a hard time for his small warg and 'squishy skin'. He tried not to let it bother him, but he also didn't like feeling weak. Thankfully, Papa Kata was giving him extra lessons outside of what was required to help him catch up to his peers.

Merry's ears perked up and he leapt to the side just in time to avoid a brown-furred warg. Luffy held on tight as his partner's paws slipped on loose leaves and sent them crashing into the undergrowth.

"Oops…so sorry. I didn't see you there." Luffy spit out a mixture of dirt and blood as he glared up at Flampe. The female orc seemed to enjoy bullying him for stupid reasons that Sanji had, at one time, attempted to explain to him. Apparently, she didn't like how close he was to Kata…or something? "If only your pup was larger, perhaps I would've seen him."

"Merry, are you okay?" Luffy asked, wiping some twigs from Merry's face. He could feel Flampe's annoyance grow as he ignored her, choosing instead to tend to his warg. Thankfully, the silver-furred beast didn't seem to be harmed and shook his pelt vigorously to get rid of anything else that clung to the soft fur.

He yelped when a clump of mud hit him on the cheek, prompting a growl from Merry's throat.

"You'll _never_ be an orc, _li'uli_." Flampe spit, saying his title like it was an insult, "The only reason you're still here is because of Big Brother's mercy. If I had my way, you'd be served up for dinner like the human you are!"

Luffy huffed as the orc rode away, leaving him and Merry behind. Flampe hadn't always been around. She had apparently been sent from one of their sister tribes to learn under Papa Kata and his Uncles. It sucked that such a bully was related to his strong and kind savior.

Flampe was also one of the few younglings to have already earned her first tattoo. Mrs. Chiffon had explained it to the class when she'd arrived. It had been bestowed upon her by Kata's sire for success in her first battle, which was crazy to think about. She wasn't that much older than him…but had already seen battle and earned a mark of glory from it.

"Come on, Merry, let's keep going." At his words, the warg barked softly and knelt down so Luffy could mount him again. No matter what other tribe members said, he loved Merry. So he was a bit smaller than the others…he was Luffy's friend and would always have his back.

By the time they finished the course, all the other younglings had already returned and were preparing to eat whatever packed snacks they brought. Due to the exercise taking place in the forest, they were a bit farther out from the village than Luffy was used to. Especially considering he almost always had an escort, even years after his induction into the tribe.

Luffy smiled softly to himself as Merry padded into the clearing. It felt good to be with his class and not given any special treatment for a change.

"Luffy, dear…what happened?" Chiffon asked with a sigh as she took in his disheveled appearance. Luffy just shrugged and slipped onto the ground. He was tempted to tell on Flampe but decided not to. Jerk or not, she was still Kata's little sister.

"…nothing." The orc gave him a look that said, 'I don't believe you', but didn't press for answers.

After making sure Merry had water and food, Luffy settled against his warg's side, eager to see what Miss Branch had packed for him. His eyes brightened at the sight of dried meat, nuts, and fresh fruit. It wasn't quite as elaborate as what Sanji usually had, but it was still _delicious._

Luffy missed his halfling friend, but since Sanji didn't have a warg, he was exempt from today's exercises.

Just as they were finishing up their snack, Chiffon sniffed the air, frowning slightly. Luffy tilted his head at her worried expression. Was something wrong?

"Children, gather your things, we're leaving."

The young orcs whined and complained, causing Chiffon's brow to furrow.

"Now is not the time to argue with me, younglings, we must leave, _now_." Luffy swiftly tucked his snack away, recognizing the urgency in the female orc's voice. Was there something dangerous out there?

Mere minutes later, they were all galloping through the woods, forcing their wargs to run at a breakneck pace. Luffy glanced sideways and swallowed hard at the sight of unfamiliar shadows following them. Were they under attack? But…they were still in Kata's territory? Who would-

"Mrs. Chiffon, what's going on?" One of the younger orcs asked, fear clear in his voice. Their teacher grit her teeth, causing her tusks to jut out slightly.

"I'm not sure, but we must reach the village as soon as-"

Suddenly, something tangled around the legs of Mrs. Chiffon's warg, causing her to tumble to the ground. Luffy and the other younglings pulled their wargs to a halt at the sudden attack, unsure what to do.

"Run! You must keep going!" Chiffon ordered while attempting to free her mount from its bindings. Flampe nudged her warg up to their teacher, scoffing down at her.

"Oh please, whatever this is, we can handle. I'm a warrior trained by Mama herself, I don't run away from a fight."

"Flampe, no, they are too strong for you. You _mus_ t run!"

"Come on, we can take them!" Flampe yelled, urging some of the other younglings to follow her. Luffy gulped when the young orcs rushed into the forest and the sound of battle filled the air. Slipping off Merry, he rushed to Chiffon's side.

"My _li'uli_ , please, leave me and go." The older orc hissed, blood leaking from the corner of her mouth, "These invaders are much stronger than trolls or goblins."

"Who are they?" He asked, grimacing when he cut his hand on the rough rope that surrounded Chiffon.

"… _orcs_." She replied, making Luffy tense up in shock. They were being attacked by another tribe? Papa Kata had told him about their neighbors, and he was fairly certain there weren't any other orc tribes nearby. "It seems Kaido has decided to take up raiding again. I imagine Mama did something that angered him…we must get you to safety, if you are captured…"

"Oh…what do we have here?"

Luffy whirled around when a large, round orc rounded a tree, holding Flampe up by her hair. The blood drained from his face when he saw how beat up the girl was. Merry immediately stepped in front of him and snarled threateningly, though it didn't seem to intimidate the other orc in the least.

He was a tan orc, like Kata, but the symbol on his armor was definitely not of their tribe.

"So, the rumors are true." The unfamiliar orc said with a dark smirk, eyeing Luffy closely, "That idiot Katakuri really did take in a human whelp. Well, all the easier for us."

"How dare you enter our territory, Queen!" Chiffon growled, grasping Luffy's arm and pulling him back, "And to attack _children_ , you are despicable."

"Oh please, this is a raid…" The other orc, Queen apparently, shot back, "It's not like we're here to make nice. Besides, after the insult our chief suffered at the hand of your matriarch, it's only fitting we regain our honor."

Luffy pulled himself flush to Chiffon's side in fear as more orcs emerged from the forest, most holding unconscious younglings under their arms. Queen smirked and tossed Flampe's limp body to one of his men before approaching them. Luffy whimpered quietly when he knelt in front of him, pushing Merry out of the way like he was nothing.

"Be a good little boy, and I _may_ let you live."

* * *

Katakuri rushed out of his tent when he heard the alarm sound. In seconds, Shade was at his side as they ran to the edge of town where a crowd had already gathered. His breath hitched at the sight of his sister, Chiffon, bruised and bloody on the back of her equally injured warg. The beast whined and collapsed just as he arrived, unable to continue.

"My Sister…what happened?" He whispered, collecting her in his arms. Chiffon coughed and grasped at the straps around his chest.

"A-A raid…Kaido sent h-his men…we were c-caught by surprise…"

Katakuri growled at the name. Kaido had long been in a shaky truce with Mama, but that had obviously come to an end. Why hadn't they been notified?

"The younglings, where are they?" Brulee questioned softly, coming up behind Katakuri. Chiffon's bottom lip trembled and she shook her head, making his stomach drop.

"Q-Queen…he took them all. He only let me go to give you a message…" Katakuri scowled and bent down to hear it, becoming angrier and angrier by the minute.

_Come alone, or we'll kill the whelps._

_Starting with the human._

Queen was one of Kaido's highest ranking warriors, meaning whatever Mama did was serious. However, he was also known for his love of games and messing with his prey. It was clear to Katakuri that Queen wanted to lure him in so that he could humiliate him somehow.

Which, honestly, was fine with him. Queen was a fool if he thought Katakuri was so weak to be defeated by such a cowardly ploy. No, he would go to Queen, and make him wish he'd never been born.

'Stay strong, Luffy. I'll be there soon.'

* * *

Luffy did his best not to tremble in fear, his hands and feet bound tightly with coarse rope. He sniffled in an attempt to keep his tears in, flinching when one of his captors let out a raucous laugh not far from him. The orcs had tied a smelly piece of fabric over his eyes and seemed to enjoy scaring him.

He wasn't certain where the others were, but they had to be close. Occasionally, Luffy would hear them whimpering or crying (in Flampe's case). Wasn't she already a warrior? It seemed that her defeat had all but crushed her bravado into dust.

"Oi, bring him over here." Luffy cried out in fear when he was suddenly lifted up and carried through the air. He struggled as much as he could, but with his hands secure behind his back and his feet useless, it was all he could do to not land on his face when he was dropped. "So, this is Katakuri's little _li'uli_ …I'm honestly not sure what I expected, but you're even tinier than I imagined."

Luffy gasped when the blindfold was torn away, blinding him with the light of the fire. The sun had since set, meaning it'd been a few hours since they'd been kidnapped. He glanced to his left and noted all their wargs were gathered in a corral of sorts with leather muzzles around their snouts. Merry gazed at him worriedly, eyes flicking between Luffy and his captor.

The other younglings were spread about the camp, all tied up and bruised.

He was forced to look back into his captor's eyes when the large orc roughly grabbed his cheeks.

"Honestly, Katakuri must be out of his mind. No _human_ could ever bring his tribe honor."

"Don't say that!" Luffy exclaimed, still trembling but angry that his Papa was being insulted, "Papa is the greatest chief ever!" Queen scoffed and released him before plopping down onto the dirt.

"Don't get me wrong, kid, I've always admired Katakuri's strength. Out of the entire tribe, he's the most…dare I say, _sane_? But there's nothing to be done about it now. You all need to be taught a lesson about respect, and Kaido sent me to be your teacher."

Luffy snapped at the hand of an orc who reached for him, earning him a devastating slap across the face and a gag forced between his teeth. He could do nothing as Queen ordered he be strung up from a branch, hanging from ropes around his arms and torso. Tears formed in his eyes as the rest of his class was beaten as well, their captors citing 'retribution'.

He was so… _weak_. Despite how hard he worked, he couldn't protect his classmates. His _people._

Queen laughed at his tears.

"Aw, is the widdle prince gonna cry? Poor thing. Humans aren't meant for the harshness of the Beast Lands."

Later that evening, the orcs stopped their party and stared at the tree line, prompting Luffy to follow their gazes. He'd been hung up for so long that he could no longer feel his limbs. He was concerned about the other children, but he was also worried for Kata.

What if…their captors used them against him?

" _Queen_." A voice growled, sending chills down Luffy's spine. When Katakuri emerged from the forest, he was in full armor with Shade at his side, appearing particularly dangerous and angry. Luffy had never seen him look so _terrifying_ before.

He attempted to call out to him but it came out as a muffled whine because of the gag. Katakuri glanced to him and his eyes softened for a split second. Luffy sniffed, scared that his weakness would cause trouble for the chief.

'I'm so sorry…'

"Katakuri, thank you for joining us!" Queen chirped, pushing the end of his club against Luffy's cheek, "It's always nice to see you."

"I suggest you release the younglings before I get truly angry." Katakuri replied, voice serious and low. Queen chuckled darkly, tapping Luffy's face with his club just enough to make him swing a little.

"Surely you value their lives, _Chief._ Throw away your weapons and tell your warg to stand down…or I'll kill your precious 'son'."

* * *

Katakuri hadn't felt so angry in a long time. However, the sight of his only (and new) son's black and blue body, his mouth gagged with a dirty cloth, was enough to stir his usually dormant magic. He hardly ever needed to use it thanks to his monstrous strength, but for this situation, he would make an exception.

He sent Luffy what he hoped was a soothing look, urging the boy to stay calm.

Katakuri would handle the fools who thought they could enter his territory without any consequences and take the children home before sunrise.

"You have a lot of nerve trespassing into my territory." Katakuri snarled, dropping his spear and motioning for Shade to back up a few steps, "And, not only that…you kidnapped younglings and harmed _my son_. I hope you've prepared yourself." Queen laughed loudly at that.

"So you really _did_ adopt a human child. No orc will ever accept him as a proper _li'uli_." Katakuri growled when Queen nudged Luffy with his club again, causing the child's eyes to scrunch closed in fear. "He will bring your tribe nothing but embarrassment. Honestly, you'd be better off letting me take him back to our Chief…I'm sure he could find a much better use for him."

Katakuri grit his teeth in fury at the mere suggestion of handing Luffy over to Kaido. The elder chief was known for his cruelty and love of 'exotic meat'. He feared the monster would sooner cook his boy up for dinner than let him live. No, the only time Kaido showed mercy was when warriors barred their teeth and were deemed strong enough to join his army.

"What is it you want, Queen? Why come here?"

Queen huffed and lowered his club, allowing Luffy a moment of reprieve. The round orc motioned for Katakuri to approach, which he did with confidence. Even though he was seriously outnumbered, he had no doubt he could remedy that with his magic. Though, he wanted to gather some information first.

Shade, thankfully, remained at the edge of camp, ears forward to listen for additional commands from his master.

"You see, Katakuri, your sire insulted our Chief, and that cannot stand." He huffed as he sat down, knowing that was likely the case. Mama was not exactly known for her…tact. "Kaido ordered us to raid her territory, and so here we are."

Katakuri hummed, crossing his arms. It was fairly common for orcs to seek retribution for insults by taking property of whoever insulted them, but usually that meant food or livestock. Why focus their attack on the children? Plus, Katakuri's territory was the farthest away from the motherland, which meant it was _at least_ a three day ride to Kaido's.

'He came here for a specific reason.' Katakuri mused, not liking the glint of amusement in Queen's eyes. He didn't doubt that the other orc was raiding on Kaido's orders, but he likely intended to have some fun while he was at it.

"Kaido suddenly has an interest in slaves?" He questioned, believing that that was the only plausible reason to kidnap younglings from another tribe. However, the Great Dragon (as he was called, a title earned long ago) wasn't known to have many slaves.

"The Chief could care less about the children." Queen scoffed before leaning forward with hands on his weapon, "No…it's _you_ he's interested in."

Katakuri frowned at that, tuning out the dark chuckles of the group around him. It wasn't much of a surprise that Kaido wanted to recruit him, the other chief had been trying for years, to no avail. Had he learned of Luffy's existence and saw an opportunity?

Perhaps he should've kept the boy a secret until he was older and could defend himself.

"I see…and you think you can take me to him?"

"You'll come quietly, or the brat dies." Queen stated firmly, motioning up to Luffy. The poor kid looked terrified and gazed at Katakuri with moist eyes. "Oh, don't worry, we'll release the other younglings, we don't need them."

"You expect me to go with you when Kaido will likely kill Luffy as soon as he has what he wants? I don't think so." He bit, abruptly standing to his feet and causing the other orcs to reach for their weapons, "Queen…you made a mistake coming here and I will send you back to your Chief _in pieces_!"

* * *

_Close your eyes._

Luffy jolted at Kata's voice in his head but did as he was told. As soon as his world was engulfed in darkness, the screams started. He whimpered at the pressure and occasional wetness that squelched against his cheek.

What…what was happening?

His body trembled when the wargs all started to bark and howl, the smell of blood thick in the air. Eventually, someone yelled something in Orcish that sounded a bit like 'I won't forget this!' and then everything went silent.

Luffy didn't try to stop his tears, fear completely overwhelming him. He didn't dare open his eyes for fear of what he'd see.

"Hey…are you all right?" Luffy yelped in terror at Papa Kata's voice, but just as quickly relaxed when he felt the orc's hand on his cheek. He nodded, unable to speak because of the gag. Thankfully, Kata removed it and cut him down only seconds later and wasted no time cradling him to his chest.

Against his better judgment, Luffy opened his eyes and his stomach immediately churned. There were bodies everywhere, lying in pools of their own blood. He sniffled and hid his face in Katakuri's chest.

"D-Did you kill them all?" He asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper. Kata hoisted him a bit higher and nodded.

"Yes, though Queen escaped. I did not want to anger Kaido more by killing one of his prized commanders." Luffy swallowed hard, big eyes scanning the carnage. "You do not have to look, little one…I know you are still young yet."

"But…I'm an o-orc too, right?" He managed, wiping his eyes, "I-I gotta get used to it and-"

"No, I don't want you to 'get used to' death, Luffy." Katakuri corrected, tilting his chin up with one gentle finger, "Though violence and battle are part of our culture, no one should _ever_ revel in taking lives. Remember boy, there is more courage in sparing a life, than taking one."

Luffy nodded, considering the orc's words. It was all a bit confusing to him, especially seeing the massacre around them. Katakuri frowned, turning around to face the remnants of the camp.

"That being said, I have no mercy to give to those who threaten the lives of my family."

The boy sniffed and snuggled into Katakuri's chest, the words making him feel safe.

He remembered little of what happened next, the night blurring together. Luffy knew that the other children were rescued and returned to the village safely. He was also told later that Katakuri had immediately sent a message to 'Mama', questioning the incident. Thankfully, they received no additional raids from the other orc tribe for many years, ushering in a time of peace and reflection.

Luffy would always remember that day and determined to never be used against his family _ever again._

* * *

**Four years later…**

Luffy exhaled slowly, his breath visible in the icy air. Winter came quickly this year, meaning it was even more important for meat to be brought back to the village.

The boy pulled his hood further over his face in an attempt to mask his presence even more. He'd learned from experience that deer and other wildlife were quick to go on alert, so it was important to stay as quiet and muted as possible.

His eyes brightened when a hog wandered into his vision. It was fairly good sized and would be the perfect ingredient for Miss Branch's famous stew. Eyeing his prey, Luffy whistled into the air, imitating the call of a common owl. Though there was no indication anyone heard him, the boy knew Merry was moving into position.

A few minutes later, the hog squealed, running in terror from Merry's snapping jaw. The warg had grown over the past few years and was now a good sized beast, much larger than any of the tribe members thought he would become. Though he was still dwarfed by Shade, Merry towered over common dogs.

Luffy grinned when his partner caught the hog, killing it almost instantly. Merry's silver fur was perfect for winter hunting, which was why his Uncles usually allowed him to participate in the daily hunts.

The boy scrambled down the tree he'd been perched in and scratched Merry's ears, causing the warg's tail to wag.

"That was awesome, Merry! Shishishi, Papa's gonna be so proud of us!"

The warg barked happily and licked his face, causing the white hood to be pushed back from his face. He was currently wearing a warm tunic Miss Branch had made him along with lynx fur lined boots and his favorite hood that wrapped around his neck like a scarf. It had been a present from Katakuri a few years back and he could almost always be found wearing it thanks to its charmed properties that caused it to change color based on the environment.

Unfortunately, due to his human skin, he couldn't wear the minimalistic clothing most orcs chose to wear when it got cold. Luffy had 'created his own style', as Sanji often said, one that was orc-like, but also human.

The fourteen-year old hummed happily as he secured the hog to Merry's back, mentally cataloguing how long it would take to get back to the village.

He'd come a long way since the incident with Kaido's men. Despite his innate 'disadvantage', Luffy managed to keep up and even surpass some of his classmates in warg handling, agility, and hunting (mostly thanks to Merry). His fighting abilities could still use work, but Kata was training him constantly and he hoped to soon earn his first mark of glory.

Admittedly, he wasn't entirely sure how to do that, but it would come!

"Come on, Merry, let's go home!"

About thirty minutes later, his warg trotted into the village, earning the attention of some of the orcs at the front gate.

"Welcome back, _li'uli._ I see your hunt was successful."

"Yeah!" Luffy replied, smiling widely as he replied in near perfect Orcish (Miss Branch had really drilled the language into him over the years), "Is Papa back yet?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure he'll have returned by the time you deliver your prey to Compote."

Luffy waved at the guard and urged Merry towards the edge of the village, where Sanji lived. His halfling friend had become quite the chef and often helped Miss Compote prepare and preserve food for the village. When he reached the tent, the boy slid off Merry and rushed inside, startling Sanji.

"Sanji, I brought food! Can you make me something?"

The blonde cursed and held a hand over his chest.

"Damn it, Luffy, you almost made me drop today's porridge."

"Shishishi, sorry." He replied, noting that Compote wasn't around. Luffy quickly padded over to a nearby table and lifted himself on it, his legs swaying back and forth. "Merry and I caught a hog, do you want it?"

"Sure, bring it in."

Luffy whistled for Merry and the warg entered with his tail wagging happily. Sanji whispered encouraging words to the beast while removing the carcass, praising him for his good work. While his friend examined their kill, Luffy glanced to his right to where a broken mirror was suspended.

He looked different than he did when Kata first brought him to the village. Though still small, Luffy had developed a lean physique that he was proud of and earned more than a few scars, including one under his left eye that he gave himself, trying to prove to his friends that he was just as tough as them.

Papa Kata had NOT been pleased.

Miss Branch, annoyed with is usual disheveled look, taught him how to braid and twist his hair so it wasn't always in his face. Currently, the part of his hair above his right ear was braided back and interlaced with intricate beads, courtesy of his Aunt. His left ear had a total of two silver hoops along the edge, given to him when he passed warg training and caught his first deer.

His Uncle Oven had given him a pretty red feather he occasionally wore (apparently from a red hawk, one of the birds their tribe revered), but he'd decided to leave it in his and Kata's tent today. Its vibrant color tended to give away his position.

Sanji had also grown and his blonde hair was currently pulled back into a small ponytail. Luffy's hair wasn't quite long enough for that.

"I see Merry did the killing again." The halfling stated, shooting him a teasing look, "Still can't shoot?"

"No…" He muttered with a pout, "It's hard! The arrows just won't go where they're supposed to!"

Papa had Luffy try multiple weapons, only to discover he seemed to have no skill with any of them, long-ranged weapons in particular. The only type of fighting he was really good at was hand-to-hand, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but made it difficult to hunt without Merry by his side.

He hoped to someday be able to at least _hit_ his target so he could give Merry a break.

"Well, I'm sure that eventually you won't suck. Here, have some of this…it's fresh."

Luffy beamed when the sizzling meat was passed to him. Though he loved any and _all_ food, meat was definitely his favorite. He wasted no time tearing into the delicious, mouthwatering meal with his sharp teeth, utilizing the canines to his advantage. Luffy had requested the village Shaman give him 'orc teeth' a few years before, which she did with some sort of magic spell.

Honestly, he was pleased with them, they made tearing into meat much easier.

"Hey, did you hear about the attack on one of our patrols yesterday?" Sanji asked as he got to work on Luffy's hog, "Miss Compote thinks there's a monster on the loose."

"Eh…" He murmured, trying to think of what dangerous creatures lived in their woods. Aside from the trolls (who generally kept to themselves and their caves), there were bears, the occasional chimera… "What did it do?"

"It attacked in the dead of night." Sanji continued, "Miss Smoothie said it swooped in, scratched them up, and left." Luffy hummed, considering the statement as he ate his snack.

"Swooped, like a bird?" His friend shrugged.

"Maybe. They didn't get a good look at it."

Luffy didn't put too much thought into the mysterious monster. Most creatures weren't stupid enough to attack orcs twice, it would probably realize this and move on.

Unfortunately, it did just the opposite and caused a great uproar in the village the following morning.

* * *

Luffy was jolted awake by screams just as the sun was peeking over the hills. He quickly grabbed a blanket, threw it around his shoulders, and rushed out into the courtyard with Merry by his side. The warg helped keep him warm at night, which he was immensely grateful for. Papa Kata was already there and appeared to be attempting to soothe Mrs. Chiffon.

"-p-please, you have to do something!"

"We will…don't worry. We'll get him back."

"Papa, what happened?" Luffy asked, peering at the distraught teacher in concern. Katakuri frowned down at him.

"It appears we have a harpy on our hands."

Luffy blinked and furrowed his brow, trying to recall what he'd learned about the creatures. They were all female…and had claws? He really needed to pay more attention to the lectures.

"P-Pez…she took my sweet Pez." Mrs. Chiffon cried, tears flowing down her cheeks and over her tusks, "I-I tried to stop her but-"

Luffy's eyes widened at the implication, picturing the little baby in his mind. Since Chiffon's husband wasn't usually around, it fell to her to care for her son most of the time. He'd been kidnapped!?

"We will go after Pez immediately!" Katakuri yelled, prompting a grunt of affirmation from the warriors around them, "Prepare yourselves, we leave as soon as possible." Luffy immediately tugged on the taller orc's pants, earning his attention.

"I'll go too!"

"Luffy…I know you want to help, but-"

"Please, let me come!" Luffy insisted, giving Kata his best 'determined' look, "Mrs. Chiffon has always been nice to me and I've gotten a lot stronger!" Katakuri huffed and closed his eyes for a second, obviously deep in thought.

"All right, go get ready, but be on your guard...harpies are very dangerous. You will stay _very_ close to me, understand?"

Luffy nodded enthusiastically before rushing back into his tent and throwing on his hood, tunic, and boots. Almost instantly, it turned brown, matching the inside fabric of the tent. Merry whined as he dressed, pawing at the floor.

"Of course you're coming too." Luffy said, making the warg's ears perk up, "I wouldn't go anywhere without you!" He made sure to pull on the thick 'punching gloves' Miss Branch had given him for his last birthday since there was a good chance they'd end up fighting the creature.

They looked like normal, black gloves, but had a strong metal alloy decorating the outside, around his knuckles. The design was slightly pointed and made his hits a lot heavier. And, according to his Aunt, they were 'fashionable'. Luffy didn't particularly care about that, but he appreciated the effort Miss Branch put into them.

Once he was ready, Luffy all but pounced onto Merry's back, ready to ride out no matter how early it was.

"Come on, let's go!"

* * *

Luffy held on tightly as Merry struggled to keep up with the larger wargs, the warriors on their backs all in full armor with their weapons strapped to their backs. He glanced to the front of the group where Kata was, astride Shade. The chief was allowing his warg to lead, the obsidian beast tracking Pez's scent.

Eventually, Katakuri held up his hand, signaling them to stop.

"The creature has made her nest surprisingly close to the edge of the forest…" One of the other warriors commented quietly as he took in their surroundings. The orcs around him mumbled in agreement while Luffy simply tilted his head.

He knew that beyond the forest on this side was the human's land, where he'd been born. Luffy refused to call it his 'home' and hadn't been there since leaving the orphanage.

"It's around here somewhere." Papa Kata called, dismounting and leaving large footprints in the snow, "Remember, where there is one…there are always more."

With that, the group spread out, weapons brandished as they searched the bushes and trees. Luffy swiftly moved to join them, all but leaping off Merry and trotting up to Katakuri.

"What do you see, boy?" His father asked, crimson eyes meeting his. Luffy blinked and looked around, unsure what he meant.

"Uh…trees."

"Look closer." The orc instructed, kneeling down and pointing at the bark of a nearby evergreen. Luffy followed his arm and noted strange scratch marks along the girth of the tree. "That is a territory marker for a harpy clan. We are very close."

Luffy tip-toed after his Papa and the other warriors once they'd identified the direction they needed to go in. They were completely silent as they walked, careful not to disturb the trees where the monsters were likely hiding. After what felt like ages, a cry sounded in the wood, echoing in their ears.

The cry of a baby.

Katakuri immediately motioned for the group to halt, his eyes scanning the canopy of the forest. Luffy swallowed hard and tugged Merry closer for support. The anticipation of battle was suffocating though most of the warriors appeared to be getting excited.

Suddenly, a shriek sounded directly above them and they ducked just in time to avoid having their eyes clawed out. Luffy's eyes widened at the sight of a harpy, the bird-lady's claws snapping open and closed as she came around for another pass.

The orcs shouted out battle cries and charged, causing a whole flock of harpies to emerge from the largest tree in the clearing.

Honestly unsure what to do, Luffy put up his fists and swung at any harpies that came close, but his arms just weren't long enough. Everyone else was using either long-ranged weapons or spears to make contact with the enemy.

With a huff, the boy changed his attention to the tree. Maybe he could go and find Pez while the monsters were occupied…

He glanced up at Katakuri, noting he was a bit busy at the moment. Yeah, that's what he'd do.

"Come on…" He whispered, prompting Merry to rush after him with a concerned whine. Luffy skirted around to the back of the tree and was pleased to find a suitable amount of knots in the bark. It wouldn't be too hard of a climb. Before he could put his foot on the first knot, Merry tugged on the back of his tunic, whimpering quietly.

"I'll be right back, okay? Keep watch for me."

The warg reluctantly released him, allowing Luffy to start making his way to the top of the tree. The sound of battle was loud but none of the harpies noticed him, thankfully. When he reached a strangely oval shaped hole in the bark, Luffy sidled up to it, straining his ears for Pez's cry.

"-I'm telling you, this one is worth more than that!" A female hissed, causing Luffy to go completely still. The harpy was dangerously close to the make-shift window.

 _"You know I don't like dealing with beast children."_ A voice answered, obviously displeased, _"My offer is final, either take it, or find another broker."_

"N-No, I…very well. My sisterssss are delaying the orcs, I will bring the child to the rendezvous point… _Mother."_ Luffy's blood went cold.

No way.

_"See that you do. It will take a while to re-stock the Sheep's House and we mustn't keep the buyers waiting."_

If Luffy hadn't been hanging on the side of the tree (to which a fall would likely break his legs), he would've dropped to the ground in shock. Mother Caramel…the name that made his stomach churn. The woman who'd tried to sell him and had ruined many lives before his. He hadn't expected her influence to reach all the way into the Beast Lands.

The boy felt his knees tremble and he struggled to keep himself against the tree's bark. Even now, years later, Mother still haunted him and was trying to turn Pez into a slave. Like hell he would let her.

Luffy swung himself into the hollowed out tree, startling the harpy standing there. His eyes flicked to what she was talking into, a bowl of water that had definitely been charmed. He trembled slightly at the sight of Mother's emotionless eyes, grateful his hood was up and currently covered the top half of his face.

"You, how did you get in here!?"

He growled at her, baring his teeth.

"Where's Pez?"

The harpy didn't answer and launched herself at him. She was faster than Luffy anticipated, but he was able to just barely avoid being impaled by her claws. Recalling what Papa Kata taught him, he threw his arms around her neck, swung himself onto her back, and caught her wings in a tight hold against his body, causing her to collapse to the floor. They rolled around for a bit, the harpy trying to throw him off. He grimaced when she slammed him against the wall, loosening his grip so she could slither loose and attack his lower body.

Luffy cried out when the harpy tore into his right leg. The monster was strong but he was certain he was stronger. The boy dodged another attack, grabbed hold of her wing, and yanked it hard, which prompted the harpy to howl in pain and fall into an uncoordinated and moaning heap. Luffy knocked her unconscious with a swift blow to the head, angling his gloves so the sharp bits wouldn't go into her head.

Breathing hard and limping slightly, Luffy turned to the slightly disturbed water where Mother Caramel remained. He grit his teeth, feeling anger bubbling up inside him.

However, Pez still needed to be found. He didn't have time to waste.

_"That was quite impressive."_

Luffy chose to ignore the hag's words (surprisingly in Orcish) and scanned the room for the missing baby. There were a few alcoves carved into the wood that looked promising. He sniffed the air and followed the delicate scent of mint that Pez was always covered in (courtesy of his mother's love of oils) to a curtained off area of the tree.

When he pulled back the curtain, Luffy smiled down at little Pez. The baby cooed and reached up for him, his prominent tusks moving with his lips.

"Hey Buddy…are you okay?" He whispered, collecting the small orc into his arms. Thankfully, Pez didn't seem to be hurt and immediately began to suckle his thumb.

 _"You are quite miniscule for an orc…even as a youngling."_ Luffy glared at the water, seriously considering throwing something at her face, _"Unless, you aren't an orc at all."_

He started when Mother switched to the common tongue used by humans. The woman cackled at his response.

 _"How sad…a human amongst orcs. You poor thing, snatched up by monsters and forced to fight."_ Luffy tightened his grip around Pez, trying not to lose his cool. _"There is a safe place…somewhere I could shelter you and the little babe-"_

"No!" He exclaimed, all but snarling at Mother, "I won't let Pez become a slave." She seemed surprised at his response, her lips pressed together in an unfamiliar expression. Though, it was odd for Luffy to see her do anything but smile (that cold, cold smile he often saw in his nightmares).

_"Who…are you?"_

Luffy exhaled slowly and approached the water, tuning out the sounds of battle and death beyond the secluded room. He held Pez on his hip and used his other hand to remove the mottled hood, fixing Mother with his best glare. The woman's eyes widened in genuine shock.

_"L-Luffy…you're alive?"_

"Yeah." He answered curtly, "No thanks to you."

 _"To think, all this time…you've been in the Beast Lands."_ Mother mumbled, eyeing him closely, _"Morgan reported that you and another brat jumped into an Elemental Serenade…what incredible luck and vitality."_

Luffy felt dirty under her searching gaze, like he was an item on display. Suddenly, Mother switched over to her familiar 'warm' smile that made him shudder.

_"Why don't you come home, little Luffy? I'm sure we can-"_

"That place wasn't my home!" He interrupted, growling at the slave trader, "It was hell and I'll never go back!"

Pez shifted in his arms, cooing softly. Luffy turned his gaze to the baby, realizations coming one after another. Even though he had been saved, so many other children were falling prey to Mother's ruse. So many were being sold and marked as property. It was clear to him now that she would never stop.

_"Oh come now, don't be so cold, darling. We all worked so hard and had such fun together-"_

Luffy slammed his fist next to the bowl of water, causing the connection to almost dissipate.

"I won't let you take Pez…or _anyone_ else." He growled, causing the woman to frown, "I'll free them all." With that, Luffy knocked over the bowl, spilling its contents all over the make-shift table and wooden floor. Huffing, he re-adjusted Pez and walked to the window.

Luffy knew exactly what he wanted to do next and all he needed was the chief's permission.

* * *

Katakuri noticed right away when Luffy snuck off during the battle. He watched him closely even as harpies attempted to attack him. Though it went against his parental instincts to let him out of his sight...he also wanted him to grow into a warrior that would make him proud. It wouldn't do to continue to coddle him. With a surprising amount of stealth, the boy snuck around the tree that obviously held the monsters' nest with Merry at his side, eventually disappearing from view.

He could sense the child's aura with his magic and witnessed his confrontation with the harpy. Katakuri was pleased with how Luffy fought, though he forgot to take into account the reach of the creature's teeth.

"Brother, we've just about killed them all." Daifuku called, weapon bloody. Katakuri nodded, scanning the clearing to find Shade. The warg had a harpy body between his teeth and trotted up to him with ears up. He obviously wanted positive reinforcement.

"Good job, old friend." He whispered, petting the beast's ears briefly.

Katakuri ordered the warriors not busy culling the last of the harpies to collect and burn the bodies. It would be insulting to the spirits of the forest to leave them out to decay. While the tribe members carried out his orders, Katakuri jogged over to the tree, eventually locating Merry at the opposite end.

The warg's ears were back and he looked a bit distressed.

"I see he hasn't returned yet." Katakuri muttered, startling the silver-furred warg. Merry barked softly when he recognized him and turned his snout up once more. It was clear that Luffy was still up in the tree, so he settled down to wait.

A few minutes later, his son peeked out a hole in the wood.

"Papa? Is that you?"

"Yeah. Do you have Pez?"

"Yep! Hang on…I gotta get down."

Katakuri watched in amusement as Luffy climbed down the tree with Pez tucked away in his hood. If Chiffon saw that, she'd probably have a heart attack, but it was surprisingly effective. His fond smile fell when he laid eyes on the boy's wound. It was very bloody and would need to be treated immediately.

"Come here." He ordered, taking the sleeping baby from him. Luffy bit his lip tightly when he put weight on the injured leg, face pale. Once Pez was secure in his arm, he scooped his son up with the other, allowing him to rest against his shoulder. "You did well…I'm proud of you."

"Mhm." Luffy affirmed, appearing surprisingly pensive. It wasn't an expression Katakuri was used to seeing on the boy.

"Something on your mind?"

"…Mother was behind it."

Katakuri frowned at that, unsure what he meant.

"S-She…even after all this time…" Luffy whispered, frustration clear in his voice, "…she's still kidnapping and selling kids."

That's when the name clicked: Mother Caramel, the head of the orphanage where Luffy lived until they'd attempted to sell him.

"Are you saying she masterminded this incident?" Katakuri asked, wanting clarification. The boy nodded.

"The harpy was talking with her when I got to the top. I-I…she saw me. She knows where I am."

"We won't let her anywhere near you." He immediately reassured, feeling the need to offer comfort and assure Luffy that he was protected. The boy's lip trembled but he looked up into Katakuri's eyes with a familiar determination.

"I want to stop her, Papa. I want to save all those kids!"

"…is that so." He replied, recognizing that Luffy was serious, "It won't be easy."

"I know, but I've gotta go." The boy said, eyes bright despite the pain he was in, "Merry will go with me so I'll be okay." Katakuri chuckled at that while Merry barked in agreement, rubbing his head against Luffy's uninjured leg.

"I can see that you're determined to do this. Very well, I'll allow it." Luffy perked up and smiled up at him in a way that made Katakuri want to ruffle his hair, "However, you won't be alone. It would be irresponsible of me to allow a young _li'uli_ out of the Beast Lands without an escort."

"Y-You'll come with me!?"

"I will," Katakuri continued, starting the walk back around the tree, "if only to guide you and bear witness to any deeds that may bring our tribe honor."

Luffy made a sound of amazement, like he hadn't considered the possibility that this may be his chance to earn his first tattoo. Which, considering his selfless personality, wasn't surprising at all.

"First, we must return Pez to his mother, then we shall prepare for the journey." Luffy nodded and slumped back against him, definitely exhausted. Katakuri smiled underneath his scarf, already mapping out their path.

First, they would cross the river that served as a physical barrier between the Beast Lands and the human realm, then they would go to Kuraigana to stop for supplies. Katakuri visited the elven city often during his pilgrimages to see the Great Shaman.

'Perhaps if we're lucky…Mihawk will be open to have guests.' Katakuri thought, picturing the elven Lord in his mind. The swordsman was very skilled and an old friend, but he wasn't terribly social despite his high status.

From there, they would make their way to Sheep's House where the decisive battle would take place. Katakuri smirked and hefted the boys higher.

Yes, he had no doubt that his son would bring their tribe honor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of this series will re-introduce Zoro, so look forward to it ^_^
> 
> Next: A Boy Called Demon


End file.
